Stand-in boss Arthur Cox has warned City's under-performing superstars they must ditch the fancy football and scrap their way to safety.

Shaun Wright-Phillips' last-gasp leveller rescued a precious point for City and plunged Wolves into despair.

Wolves remain bottom, now six points below the relegation watermark, while the Blues are only two points above it following Leeds' win at fellow strugglers Blackburn.

And with just six games of the campaign remaining, Cox said: "Sometimes you have to do the nitty-gritty stuff, the nasty side of football and that is where we are now. Cox, has now presided over three successive draws in the absence of Kevin Keegan.

Cox added: "Most of our players are used to being up at the top end of the table and playing in the Champions League. At the moment, we are at the opposite end of the spectrum.

"I genuinely believe our players have the ability to play the way we need them to do now but for the first time I noticed a certain nervousness in the dressing room about the position we are in." Former City winger Mark Kennedy struck the opener then ex-Newcastle striker Carl Cort tapped home a second following more defensive mayhem in the home box.

It was the German Tarat who crossed for Nicolas Anelka to nod home his 21st goal of the season and again when Antoine Sibierski levelled. Camara's finish after James had turned a Kennedy free-kick into his path looked like saving Colin Cameron's blushes after he missed a spot-kick.

But Wright-Phillips, called into the England squad for the first time last month, provided the final drama in a thrilling encounter.